CORNY BUT TRUE TALES DEFINE 2012, JUST LIKE IN A FRANK CAPRA MOVIE

Another Christmas come and gone, another stupefying moment for NFL Insider as he watched “It’s A Wonderful Life.”

Uncle Billy unknowingly hands the cash to the villain, and I always cringe.

What was George Bailey thinking? How could the smartest man in Bedford Falls trust his besotted uncle with every dollar owned by the family business?

Other scenes are no less fantastic. By the film’s end, though, George and his friends prevail, calling to mind this year’s NFL season, which only could’ve been imagined by the film’s creator, Frank Capra, so corny and upbeat are its storylines.

Take a look:

• Heroes of the Heartland: One year after the cornfed team loses 13 straight games, a new coach is hired though he’s new to head coaching. His plan calls for two defensive linemen, though set in their ways, to stand up and play linebacker. Critics cluck.

Meantime, pass-catchers flee Indiana to chase dollars in free agency, and a rookie quarterback is put in charge. Skeptics hoot when the Stanford man is billed the NFL’s best rookie passer since another hotshot joined the Horseshoes in ’98.

The coach, as it turns out, has leukemia. The players are teary-eyed when told early in the season. The coach continues to inspire his players, even sends them text messages between chemotherapy treatments.

Cheerleaders shave their heads to raise money to fight leukemia. The coach recovers and rejoins the team — but not before his stand-in, a guru of the downfield pass, guides the ’Shoes to a playoff berth. As for the kid quarterback, he tops the hotshot’s performance of ’98.

Best supporting actor: Adam Vinatieri. He has made four field goals of at least 50 yards, doubling his best work. A sage to the young Colts, he’ll turn 40 this week.

• Tall in the Pacific Northwest: A quarterback falls to 75th in the NFL Draft because he’s only 5-feet-10½. Teams desperate for a quarterback pass on him, leaving him for Seattle, which plans to sit him behind a newly acquired, expensive veteran.

The coach, a hyper man, sees the rookie play, becomes infatuated, and promptly names him the starter. Critics cluck.

The rookie is revealed as wiser than Yoda. For every interception he throws, he throws 2.5 TD passes, and because he’s also running-back shifty, he gains 5.1 yards per run.

The team punches its playoff ticket by winning three games in a row by a combined 150-30.

Best supporting actor: John Schneider. At 41, he’s the NFL’s third-youngest general manager. His draft picks have clicked, as has running back Marshawn Lynch, acquired from Buffalo.

• Mile High Winner: Denver’s top boss, a former Super Bowl-winning quarterback, bets $18 million that a 36-year-old quarterback will regain his form despite no other instance of a player returning from four neck surgeries.

Jackpot.

The quarterback leads his team to the playoffs, and although he insists he played better in other peak seasons, becomes a decent bet to win his fifth Most Valuable Player award.

His MVP competitors include a running back who, a year after wrecking his knee, averages 6 yards a rush.

Best supporting actor: Dan Koppen. When center J.D. Walton was lost to injury, Koppen stepped in and steadied the Mules, who are 10-0 since falling behind 24-0 in San Diego.